Jam Lab Business Plan (Draft)

Overview

Jam Lab is a new initiative within Scavenger Labs, focused on creating open educational resources (OER) that support project-based STEAM learning. It also aims to undertake paid R&D projects in partnership with others.

Jam Lab is led by Steve Summers (noisytoys.org) and Mick Chesterman (Manchester Met School of Education). The project is built on collaborative values while maintaining a streamlined financial and branding structure that allows for flexibility and future separation of activities if needed.

  • Most activities are kept freelance between Mick and Steve to maintain flexibility.
  • Noisy Toys (Steve Summers) runs STEAM workshops in schools, museums, and public installations.
  • Mick will relaunch media production work under either Clearer Channel or Beyond TV.

Key Areas for Development

  • Motivations
  • Products
  • Audience
  • Timeline

Motivations (1–3 years)

Steve’s Motivations

  • Secure sustainable funding
  • Engage young people through:
    • Drop-in events
    • Creative workshops
    • Public installations
  • Encourage experimentation and paid R&D
  • Make workshops more manageable (e.g. by employing support staff)
  • Present work as both an artist and researcher
  • Diversify workshop offerings

Mick’s Motivations

  • Secure short-term funding (within 1 year)
  • Develop long-term projects supporting mental wellbeing
  • Support children and families who are out of school
  • Continue facilitating experimental, creative projects
  • Embed learning design in practice
  • Involve families, including Mick’s own child
  • Establish an independent research entity for partnerships
  • Develop creative identity as a media artist through screenings and events
  • Mentor early-career practitioners with institutional support

Project Delivery Models

Noisy Toys (Steve)

  • STEAM-based workshops and subcontracted events
  • Formats include:
    • One-off school days
    • Week-long residencies

Clearer Channel (Mick)

  • Media production activities:
    • News reports
    • Podcasts
    • Website building

Jam Lab Model

  • Half-term (6-week) programmes delivered weekly
  • Educator training:
    • 1-day intensive
    • Peer networks
    • Ongoing mentorship
    • Sales of accompanying kits

Open Educational Resource (OER) Packages

Designed for hands-on, project-based learning such as:

  • Building a remote-control buggy
  • Coding a digital game

Two tiers of OER packages:

  • Prototype: Fast, low-cost drafts in Google Docs, minimal polish
  • Professional: Fully designed and tested, produced in partnership with participants, suitable for funded partnerships

Additional Structures

  • After-school clubs (targeting SEM and youth mentoring)
  • Training and technical support for partners
  • Pilot funded projects with embedded mentoring
  • Public exhibitions and creative installations

Funding Strategy

  • Long-term goal: £200,000 lottery bid
    (Would require clear evidence of community need and programme impact)

Audience & Stakeholders & Themes

Audience for Jam Labs activities (paying)

  • Home-educating families & other families
  • Research collaborators (Universities, Local government, Foundations)
  • Non-mainstream schools
  • GLAM institutions (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums)

Other Partners / Stakeholders

  • Arts freelancers

Themes and values

  • Informal education
  • STEM + Arts (STEAM)
  • Music and media
  • Playfulness and experimentation
  • Family-inclusive learning

Marketing & Visual Identity

  • Playful and creative “flavour”
  • Animal mascots with tech/media props (e.g. foxes, raccoons, rats)
  • “YETI” concept for youth engagement
  • Strong emphasis on participant co-creation

Core Motivations for Participants

  1. Mental well-being
  2. Skills for self-expression and employability (young people & adults)
  3. Political and social literacy

Key Contacts and Supporters

Scavenger Labs board

  • Steve Summers
  • Mick Chesterman
  • Rebecca

Advisory group

  • Alan D, Cathy Lewin, Louis & family, Jon Savage
  • Home Ed groups: Jenny, Rachel
  • Institutional partners: Z-arts, Media Museum, Cath Bann

Timeline (Setup and Pilots)

  • Create public website explaining goals and activities of Jam Labs project (by Sept 2025)
  • Form Advisory Group (by Dec 2025)
  • Create a pilot professional OER package (Game Making) and work on pricing / marketing that work (by Nov 2025)
  • Create a pilot prototype OER package and work on pricing / marketing that work (by Dec 2025)
  • Run Home Ed pilot (by April 2026)
  • 200k lottery funding bid feasibility work (Apr 2026-2027)
  • Build library of adaptable project resources and check location feasibility